Excellent Image Quality, But Short On Features

The final two years have seen an sudden projector renaissance, with new triple-laser DLP fashions providing extremely vivid and correct picture high quality. The newest of these is XGIMI’s Titan Noir Max, an elegant-looking projector that emphasizes reference-grade picture high quality whereas eschewing specs like exterior audio system and good TV streaming.

On prime of options like IMAX certification, a dynamic twin iris and 4K 60 fps Dolby Imaginative and prescient, the Titan Noir Max provides a simple and versatile setup. It additionally comes with built-in Harmon Kardon sound and 1ms gaming latency. Nonetheless, at practically $6,000 MSRP, that is additionally probably the most costly long-throw shopper DLP projectors obtainable. It is value it for sure consumers, however most individuals would get extra for his or her cash with rival fashions.

The Titan Noir Max has a refined, stylish design with a gray steel chassis, entrance grill and understated purple ring across the lens, together with Harman Kardon and gold “IMAX Enhanced” logos. The projector is across the identical measurement because the rival Valerion VisionMaster Max, however sits on tube-like toes that give it a barely alien look. It ships with a sublime carrying field and comes with a pleasant wanting, silver-accented distant.

I arrange the Titan Noir Max in my lounge with a 120-inch matte projector display screen to keep away from the “laser speckle” that may occur with ALR (ambient gentle reflecting) screens. With a 0.98-2.0x zoom lens, this projector provides a extremely versatile setup distance of 8.7 to 17.4 toes from screens as much as 300 inches in measurement. It helps a large lens shift vary as properly (50 p.c horizontal and 130 p.c vertical), so you may set the projector properly off heart without having to make use of distorting digital keystone correction.

On the identical time, it does have an automated keystone setup that permits you to simply level the projector close to the center of your display screen and press a button to suit the picture should you do not wish to fuss. That labored properly for me, however I wanted to regulate the picture to get it comparatively near the display screen measurement first. Auto display screen adjustment was simpler with Anker’s Nebula X1 or the VisionMaster Max, engaged on each of these fashions so long as the picture measurement was bigger than the display screen.

The Titan Noir Max comes with three HDMI 2.1 ports, together with one with eARC for a sound bar, together with S/PDIF optical, USB-A, a 3.5mm audio output and a gigabit ethernet connection. It lacks the Nebula X1’s liquid cooling but it surely’s practically as quiet — I measured fan noise at a really minimal 18db from two toes away, or 24db when brightness was pushed to the utmost.

Not like rivals, the Titan Noir Max lacks Google TV or one other built-in good TV service. To make use of platforms like Netflix and Disney+, you will must buy an Apple TV 4K, Google TV or different streaming machine. This did not hassle me as I had a spare Google TV stick, which I favor anyway as a result of the Google TV interface that is constructed into some projectors might be laggy. Nonetheless, the shortage of any streaming entry might push some of us to go along with one other mannequin.

The XGIMI Titan Noir Max guarantees “reference grade” video high quality and it delivers on that, beating all different luxurious projectors I’ve tested lately. It would not use the larger, sharper 0.78-inch DLP chip of the original Titan although. As an alternative, XGIMI went with the most recent “SST” 0.47-inch DLP from Texas Devices that enables a superior mix of brightness and distinction. Mixed with the intense RGB triple-laser engine, it might probably output over 5,000 ANSI lumens.

At its most correct setting in Filmmaker mode, the Titan Noir Max hit a formidable 4,320 lumens in response to my Calibrite Show Plus meter, better than any projector I’ve examined so far. That elevated additional to simply over 5,000 lumens once I used the Laser 10+ mode for optimum brightness, although with a substantial shade accuracy loss.

The Titan Noir Max guarantees excessive native distinction as properly through its twin dynamic iris with handbook aperture management. When testing for optimum regular brightness, I noticed a distinction ratio of two,000:1 — an excellent consequence. That may be boosted to an unimaginable 6,000:1 with the iris set on the most f7.0, although brightness drops to 800 lumens. The dynamic iris setting supplies one of the best compromise with a 4,500:1 distinction ratio and a couple of,900 lumens of brightness, although I observed some brightness “pumping” typical with dynamic iris projectors. That is one thing that may happen when the projector’s iris adjustments noticeably for a scene.

On prime of ordinary SDR, the XGIMI Titan Noir Max helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced HDR modes. The corporate claims 110 p.c of BT.2020 shade protection, and I measured only a shade beneath one hundred pc with about 5 p.c accuracy — one other excellent consequence. The projector additionally features a extremely efficient anti-rainbow perform that eliminates DLP shade fringing, one thing I am fairly delicate to.

Straight out of the field I used to be extremely impressed by the picture high quality. Brightness was excessive sufficient in commonplace mode to observe movies, TV exhibits and sports activities like tennis in daylight without having to decrease the blinds. In a darkened room with Dolby Imaginative and prescient, I used to be blown away by the brightness and shade constancy in films like F1, Interstellar and Avengers: Endgame. The wonderful distinction allowed me to see shadow element in difficult scenes just like the black gap entry in Interstellar that may look overly darkish on some projectors.

The XGIMI Titan Noir Max is one of the best projector I’ve examined to this point for gaming, with 1080p at as much as 240 fps refresh charges (with VRR help) and really low 1ms latency. Whereas it would not help 4K at 120 fps as a result of limitations of DLP chips, it might probably deal with 4K 60Hz video games with a formidable 3ms of enter lag. That is considerably higher than the Valerion VisionMaster Max’s 15ms.

These specs let me do no-compromise gaming with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hole Knight: Singsong. On the identical time, the large display screen, shade accuracy and vivid picture supplied deep immersion that you just simply cannot get on a smaller display screen.

The Titan Noir Max has a built-in 24-watt Harmon Kardon audio setup, with 12 watts per speaker. It supplies clear midrange, pure voices and respectable soundstage, however frankly, the bass is weak and the sound system lacks energy general. For those who’re laying out this sort of cash, you will wish to splurge on a devoted surround-sound system with DTS:X help, as Dolby Atmos is not an choice.

Compared, the Nebula X1 offers you the choice to buy non-compulsory stereo Bluetooth audio system that join routinely. For lower than the value of the Titan Noir Max, you might additionally get the Nebula X1 Professional that comes with a large sound system and helps Dolby Atmos.

XGIMI’s $6,000 flagship Titan Noir Max makes use of the most recent projector tech to present cinephiles the very best picture high quality. It set new benchmarks in my testing for brightness, shade accuracy and distinction, but it surely’s very costly. Not like its important rivals, the Valerion VisionMaster Max and Anker Nebula X1 Professional, it has no built-in good TV options or tailored audio choices.

Except you are obsessive about image high quality, you would be higher off spending much less on Anker’s $2,999 Nebula X1 or the Nebula X1 Professional, the latter of which comes with a robust, moveable sound system for $1,000 lower than the Titan Noir Max. For those who’re prepared to accept picture high quality that is practically pretty much as good and contains good TV options, examine outValerion’s $5,000 VisionMaster Max. For those who’re one who will solely accept one of the best, XGIMI’s Titan Max Noir is the best choice — and also you’d do properly to pre-order it now whereas it is nonetheless obtainable on Kickstarter for $2,999.